Screenwriting : Competition. by Andy Celis

Blue cat is big. They give notes. I don’t know of anyone that has been hurt by a comp, except for the loss of cash.

Like Craig said, "Blue cat is big." Best way (short of paying strictly for notes) to get notes on your screenplay and you have a chance at winning. I've entered twice. Didn't win but got notes that helped on both rewrites.

No contest makes it mandatory that you register your script, some suggest it for your own protection but that's on you. My advice - If you never send it out, you'll never get discovered.

Blue Cat has been a legitimate competition for decades. It's run by Gordie Hoffman. The test of how legitimate a competition is not whether or not it demands a writer register materials prior to competition submission. The test of how legitimate a competition is is, how long has it been around, who is backing it, and what have past winners achieved as a result of placing in or winning the competition?

Competitions are not always the best source of notes. Some reader pools for comps are really strong. Some are spotty. You never enter a competition for just "cheap notes and feedback." If you want feedback, pay someone who has craft skills and know how for feedback before you enter a competition. The purpose of a competition entry is notoriety, the win gets your recognition and a door in to get read places, and cash (cash doesn't hurt paying the ink and software bill). Those are your only goals, the cash and the recognition that will get you read. Notes? You want notes, hire someone who knows craft and can give solid notes that will help you win the next competition.

Although the risk of plagiarism/stealing is very low in any comp, for career advancement or notes, competitions are a waste of time and money. Write a short, shoot it, put it out there. Not only is this a better way to gain "notoriety," but the experience will make you a better writer.

Thumbs up for Blue Cat. They're good people.

As John says, consider why you're entering a competition. Chances of getting your screenplay noticed and sold because of a contest are slim. Getting some good feedback/notes is a better bet. And if you really want to learn, make something yourself.

What Max said. I've been on a couple of panels at Film Fests with Gordie over the years and he's a good guy. Also what Max said: Look at the results of the competitions, what happened to the winners. Many competitions are small and don't matter in the business. Avoid those. Look for competitions that mean something if you win them - producers become interested in your work. Getting notes is important, too - you find out what someone who has read hundreds of screenplays thinks of yours... and what you need to fix.

The Cat been good to me over the years.